Thoughts from ICU
by Flightf
Summary: A series of shorts taking place while Ranger is in the ICU. Each Chapter will be a different POV.
1. Julie's POV

**Author: Feather (Flightf)**

**Warnings: Spoilers all the way through Twelve Sharp.**

**Disclaimers: I own nothing…JE owns it all….I will return everything when I am finished**

**Rating (K-M) PG**

**A/N: This was a challenge sent by the Twelve Sharp group. 'Ranger in the hospital of any point of view.'**

**This is my first fanfic and the first thing I have tried to write since college…So go easy on me.**

I could hear the constant beep of the monitors. It was a comforting sound. A sound that told me that he was still alive. His skin typically a rich mocha color was pasty and pale. He had bandages on his neck, his shoulder, his ribs; he was battered and bruised, and my heart ached for him.

I silently looked at his face; his eyelashes lying against his cheek; his nose, and his mouth. I had never really taken the time to study him. He had always just been a part of my life; a distant yet stable pillar that I knew would be there. I knew that my hair, my skin, and my eyes all had come from him but, until that week, that is all I would say that we had in common.

Until that week, I would have never called him my father; my mom and dad called him Carlos; my grandmother calls him names that I am not supposed to say or know. Me, I called him Ranger. I had always known that he was my biological father, but those are just words. Every birthday and Christmas the gifts would arrive; they were always nice but impersonal; the cards were just always signed Ranger. Every month a check would come in the mail, and a couple of times a year he would come to visit. He was polite and kind, but there was always a wall between us. There were never any words of love. He was never my father, until last night.

The sound of the door opening and a nurse coming in brought me out of my own thoughts and for the first time tonight I looked at the other people in the room. By the windows sat Tank; he has been appointed my personal guard until my parents arrive from Miami. I had seen him from a distance before but this is my first contact with him. He makes me feel safe, and for that I am thankful.

Across from me on the other side of my father sat Stephanie. Her wild Brown curls have been pulled into a ponytail; tears were falling silently down her cheeks from big blue eyes. Her hands were slightly stroking my father's cheek. Earlier, she had changed into a pair of sweatpants and a tee-shirt from one of the guys…So the shirt fell to about mid thigh and the pants had to be rolled at the waist.

It's hard to believe that just earlier that week, this woman gave me the courage to change my destiny. I wonder if she knows how much she changed my life.

When Scrog had my leg shackled to the bed I was so scared. All I could think about was "Please don't kill me". When he kept talking about bringing me a mother and her name was Stephanie, I had no clue who he was talking about or why he considered her my mother.

The first day, I looked around to see if I could get out of the leg shackles, and when I failed a part of me gave up. So I sat in that dingy motor home and cried. I lost track of time, if it was night or day, I lost a little bit of myself.

When Scrog handed me the phone and Stephanie asked me if I was okay, I really didn't know what to say. When he walked through the door with a woman, with her butt crack hanging out of her pants, the only thing I could do was stare at her, but when she kicked him in the head and then again in the side it gave me the courage to know that I could fight back, and that I would. The part of me that the fear had killed came back to life.

I didn't get my chance until I was coming out of a drugged state, I sat as still as I could, waiting for Scrog to make a move. When Ranger walked into the room, everything seemed to happen in slow motion. He looked at Stephanie in the eyes, I could see them deepen, and then he looked at Scrog. When Scrog started shooting I was frozen, and I realized that Ranger loved me enough to die for me, and I didn't really know him. From that point on I let survival instincts take over. Before last night I would never have imagined that I would have shot a man and feel nothing but relief.

"His vitals are good and he should be waking up soon, let me know if you need anything," the nurse told us, as she changed the IV bag.

Stephanie looked up at the nurse and gave her a small smile, "Thanks."

The nurse left the room and we all went back to our own thoughts. You would think that the silence would be uncomfortable, but it was actually soothing. I wrapped my fingers around one of his large hands and laid my head onto the bed. I closed my eyes and I started to drift off to sleep. My mind was full of thoughts of my father and the memories that we have yet to make.


	2. Tank's POV

**Author: Feather (Flightf)**

**Warnings: Spoilers all the way through Twelve Sharp.**

**Disclaimers: I own nothing…JE owns it all….I will return everything when I am finished**

**Rating (K-M) M (for language)**

**A/N: This was a challenge sent by the Twelve Sharp group. 'Ranger in the hospital of any point of view.' This is 2nd in a series of however many my little brain can think up J**

**XjerseyGirl, Cokkii, Stephannie1014, loshi, MagnificentSin, LauraSmith: Thanks for the reviews. I really appreciate your feedback. I have always been a spoiler slut but now I think that I might become a review slut**

**Also, a very HUGE thank you to Melle who has been acting as my editor extraordinaire. Without her my story would be full of creative grammar and would consist of the never-ending sentence. I think that I am trying to set the record for the most use of "and", "but", "or" and of course just the plain commasJ in one sentence.**

Sitting in a hospital room is not a new experience for me. In fact, I could tell you about hospital rooms all over the world. In my line of work, you learn these things real fast. One of the first things you do before you set foot in a foreign country is look up is the medical system, and if it is worth a damn. Luckily this time I didn't have to worry about that aspect; I was home so I knew the system. I have been to this hospital so much that I know most of the nurses and the doctors on a first name basis, which comes in handy when the waiting room is overflowing with people and most of them scary as hell.

Right now, I am sitting in a private ICU room guarding my brother and the two most important women in his life. I have been sitting in this chair by the window for four hours, and my ass is numb. I would never say that out loud (it just doesn't fit the image) but it happens. I am used to sitting still for hours on end-it comes with the job-but I am shocked that my companions have been still this long. Even Bombshell, who can't sit still on a stakeout for 20 minutes, has not moved from her chair.

More surprising is the fact that everyone is silent. When the nurses have come in to check the machines or change the IV bag there have been a few "thank you"s and half-smiles but not much else. Ever since the surgeon updated us and told us that Ranger would live and that he'd have a full recovery there has been silence. At first it was from relief; the air that had been heavy to breathe was now a little fresher and cooler. When they let us into the ICU room, we all seemed to withdraw into our own thoughts.

From my vantage point, I could still see the waiting room full of black shirts. There are a few Cops left. One in particular, has a concerned look on his face. Maybe this will open his eyes. On the other side of the room is one of the only good things to happen this week and she goes by the name of Lula. Maybe we can have 'lunch' tomorrow.

Shifting in my chair to see if I could get my circulation going, I did a quick scan around the room. On the other side of the glass were Bobby and Lester guarding the door. They were sitting in the metal folding chairs watching everyone on the floor. Their job was to make sure that no one who wasn't authorized made it within 200 feet of this room. I knew that I could trust them with my life, so I had no concerns there.

My eyes next fell upon bombshell. She was quietly sitting beside Ranger stroking his cheek. Every once in a while her lips would move as if she was saying something. She never ceases to amaze me, but this week has truly put her to the test. At the beginning of the night, I was a little worried that she was going into shock. When Morelli half carried her out of her apartment she was a mess. Her face looked haunted, and she never took her eyes off of the stretcher that carried Carlos. In all of the times that she has been knee high in shit, I have never seen that look on her face. To be truthful, I never want to see it again.

While Carlos was putting on his vest he made me swear to keep his Babe safe. Trying to lighten the mood I asked him if he left me enough money to take on an endeavor like that. I was completely shocked me when he looked me in the eyes and said, "My lawyer has all the paperwork, there is a trust fund with over 2 million in it. I checked and updated my will earlier this week and everything is in order. I also increased what I left Julie. Both her mother and you are executers of her trust fund until she turns 25. Make sure that her family gets Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder counseling after this mess…I thought that I had protected them from my world." And with those words he started up the stairs.

Julie's small dark head was quite a contrast to the stark white of the hospital sheets. After the last nurse's visit she had laid her head down to rest. I thought I saw her lips say daddy but I couldn't swear to it. Tonight while she was giving her statement I caught glimpses of Carlos. She had his determination, his strength and his survival instinct. She surely hadn't gotten her spunk from her mother; when I talked to her she was still doped up. It's a good thing we didn't have to use her as bait. At the thought of Julie's mother I looked at my watch, she should be arriving in the RangeMan jet in 2 hours with her husband and two other children. I think that I will send Hal to pick them up. He's big but he wouldn't scare them like Cal would.

Carlos has worked so hard over the years to keep these women away from his life but in the end fate had other ideas. Of course I knew that he failed with Bombshell, but I never would have guessed that we would be where we are with Julie. I wonder what will happen next. I wonder how the last few weeks have changed the lives of my brother and these two women; only time will tell, my friend.


	3. Grandma Mazur's POV

**Author: Feather (Flightf)**

**Warnings: Spoilers all the way through Twelve Sharp.**

**Disclaimers: I own nothing…JE owns it all…I will return everything when I am finished**

**Rating (K-M) M (for language)**

**A/N: This was started from a challenge sent by the 'Twelve Sharp' group: "Ranger in the hospital of any point of view." This is 3rd in a series of around 9. J** **Thanks to everyone who gave me feedback…it is always appreciated.**

**Also, a very HUGE thank you to Melle who has been acting as my editor extraordinaire. Without her my story would be full of creative grammar and would consist of the never-ending sentence. I think that I am trying to set the record for the most use of "and", "but", "or" and of course just the plain commasJ** **in one sentence. MagnificentSin…I salute you! Thanks for being my second set of eyes. I really appreciate your tough loveJ.**

**MagnificentSin, loveshi, Cokkii, Rangerette, monroe-mary, Hunnybunch: Thanks for the great reviews…I can only hope that this chapter lives up to expectation. It was a challenge! Grandma Mazur is one tough old lady!**

On and off since arriving at St. Francis, I studied Stephanie. When we walked through the door, I barely recognized the girl standing in front of me. She looked like Stephanie, but her big blue eyes were glazed and empty. Every once in a while, she would come out of her stupor and her eyes would search until they rested on a big black man they call Tank and quietly ask, "Any News?" He would shake his head no, and she would return to the world of the zombie. She was sitting in the waiting room surrounded by people, but you could tell that she wasn't really there. She was wearing a black tee shirt that was 3 sizes too big, sweat pants that obviously belonged to a much bigger person, and socks that belonged on huge feet. They probably belonged to the bounty hunter with the nice package or maybe one of his men. The socks give it away even if the size of the shirt didn't; Morelli doesn't have feet that size; I know I've checked. The doctor finally came and informed them that Ranger was out of surgery and bare of any complications. He should make a full recovery in time. The relief in Stephanie was evident in her whole body. You could see the life coming back into her. 

When they finally rolled Ranger into the ICU room, they told us that three visitors at a time were allowed. Nobody said a word when Tank led both Stephanie and Julie into the room. He directed Stephanie on the side of the bed by the windows, Julie on the side by the glass and then took the seat in the back corner of the room. This was four hours ago. In that time the trio hadn't changed much. Tank had shifted a few times Julie put her head on the bed and went to sleep. Stephanie had continued to stroke his cheek.

From where I sat I had the perfect vantage point, I could see everybody in the waiting room but I could also see straight into the clear glass of the ICU room. I had the best seat in the house. I must have been a good girl this week.

Immediately after Tank and the girls entered the room two hot guys pulled up metal chairs and positioned themselves to guard the area. Nobody in their right mind would approach that room without a really good reason. In a few minutes I would go and check on Stephanie.

Across the room was a string of other cops; they were all talking in hush tones about what happened tonight. Eddie was there I needed to corner him to find out what to tell the girls at the Cut and Curl tomorrow. I have a reputation to uphold and this is a wingdinger of all incidents.

Sitting amongst the cops was Morelli. He was in full Italian male brooding mode. Every woman from the Burg knew that look from a thousand meters away. His eyes were riveted on Stephanie there was no question as to whom or why he was in a snit. A couple of times he had gotten up and walked over to the glass wall. He would stand with his hand on the glass and just watch Stephanie. She never even noticed that he was there. Every time that he returned to his seat he would throw himself down and he would look a little more ominous.

I knew that I was watching a defining moment in my granddaughter's life. The question is what does it all mean? Well, I will just have to lean back and wait for it all to happen

This was better than television.


	4. Lester's POV

**Author: Feather (Flightf)**

**Warnings: Spoilers all the way through Twelve Sharp.**

**Disclaimers: I own nothing…JE owns it all….I will return everything when I am finished**

**Rating (K-M) M (for language)**

**A/N: This was started from a challenge sent by the 'Twelve Sharp' group. "Ranger in the hospital of any point of view." This is 4th in a series of about 9. J** **Thanks to everyone who gave me feedback…it is always appreciated. **

**Also, a very HUGE thank you to Melle who has been acting as my editor extraordinaire. Without her my story would be full of creative grammar and would consist of the never-ending sentence. I think that I am trying to set the record for the most use of "and", "but", "or" and of course just the plain commasJ in one sentence. MagnificentSin…I salute you! Thanks for being my second set of eyes. I really appreciate your tough loveJ**.

Damn, this has been 10 days from hell. What we thought started out as simple credit card fraud, turned out to be a full-blown psycho.

I wouldn't tell the boss this, but he might be hanging out with Bombshell too much. I think that she has rubbed off on him.

Shit, here came Morelli again. I wish he would stay in the waiting room, or better yet go home. He wasn't needed here. We would take care of Bombshell.

That's it, look at me. Yep this look is for you; I would love to take out some of this frustration. Please, just give me a reason. Hmm…He's headed back to his seat; time to put the blank face back on.

I swear that man is so slow on the intake that he couldn't sneak up on a glass of milk. I wonder if it is love that makes Morelli so blind or if it is just plain stubbornness. I think that everybody in Trenton knows that Stephanie and Carlos love each other. Everybody knows about the stolen kisses in the ally behind the bonds office. The touches and innuendos that they share. The looks that those two give each other could catch the artic on fire. And Stephanie's reaction tonight toped the cake. I have never seen her react that way. She has kept her cool through thick and thin. She has been stalked, kidnapped, harassed, attacked and anything else that a crazed criminal's mind could come up with and she has stayed sane. When Carlos was shot tonight, to say that Stephanie was in bad shape would be the understatement of the year. You cannot tell me that a vice Cop has not heard the thugs on the street call Stephanie Plum Ranger's woman.

Ah…here comes the cute nurse with chocolate Brown hair and perky…better get my mind off of her assets. I wonder what she is doing on this floor she works in the emergency room.

"Can I help you?"

"It was my break time and I thought that I would come up and see how Stephanie was doing. Earlier in the emergency room she didn't look so good. By the way I am Gail Mangianni; my sister is married to Stephanie's cousin so we are family. "

I swear everybody in the Burg was family in some way or another. "I'm Lester Santos. Stephanie is sitting in with Ranger, waiting for him to wake up. Would you like me to tell her that you stopped by?"

"That would be good. Could you have her stop by emergency on her way home?" She waited for me to nod then she turned around and walked towards the elevator. I wonder if I can get Stephanie to introduce me when this is all over. Gail's assets were really nice.

I looked at my left wrist, I have been on the job for 16 hours now, four more and it is Cal and Junior's turn to sit in these chairs. Tank arranged earlier to have a room set up so that we had a place to crash here. I can't wait to see the back of my eyelids.


	5. Eddie's POV

**Author: Feather (Flightf)**

**Warnings: Spoilers all the way through Twelve Sharp.**

**Disclaimers: I own nothing…JE owns it all….I will return everything when I am finished**

**Rating (K-M) M (for language)**

**A/N: This was started from a challenge sent by the Twelve Sharp group. 'Ranger in the hospital of any point of view.' This is 5th in a series of around 9. J** **Thanks to everyone who gave me feedback…it is always appreciated. I am sorry that it has been so long since my last update, RL was crazy last week. **

**Also a very HUGE thank you to Melle who has been acting as my editor extraordinaire. Without her my story would be full of creative grammar and would consist of the never-ending sentence. I think that I am trying to set the record for the most use of "and", "but", "or" and of course just the plain commasJ** **in one sentence. MagnificentSin…..I salute you! Thanks for being my second set of eyes. I really appreciate your tough love J**

The guys at the station and I joke that Stephanie Plum is both our supplemental income and our largest expense. Anyone who has spent anytime in a police station knows that cops love to gamble; well in Trenton we mainly gamble on Stephanie Plum. We also throw in a few sports games here and there, but Stephanie is our main attraction. I don't tell the guys but when I win I slip her 25. I figure without her my kids would be in public school.

When a call goes out with Stephanie Plum's name or address I try to be one of the first on scene. Stephanie has been in my life for as long as I can remember; we grew up a block away. We attended all the same schools, had the same teachers and were raised the same way. Hell, I'm even married to her cousin. So it amazes me how much bigger Steph is than the burg. She has a personality that lights up the lives of anyone around her. Her heart is bigger than an extra large Pino's pizza and she has the compatibilities to find the best in everything except for herself.

Standing outside Stephanie's apartment watching Ranger put on Kevlar, with a perfectly calm expression was a sight to be scene. From where I was standing I could see that he was talking to Tank but I could not hear the conversation. What do you talk about when you know that there is a great possibility that you wont be walking out alive? Being a cop I face the fear that I won't come home each night but I have never left knowing that I probably wasn't coming back.

The parking lot was covered in police personal; we were all in quiet mode hoping that we didn't alert Scrog to our presence. Everyone was on edge waiting until Ranger made his entrance into Stephanie's apartment. We didn't know what was happening behind that door, we could only hope that we were in time. Two cars away from me was Morelli, he was in cop mode, the only sign of his inner turmoil was the set of his shoulders and thetightness in his jaw. As Ranger started walking towards the building Morelli along with other various members of our group followed suit. I can't imagine what Morelli thought of the fact that Ranger was prepared to give his life for Stephanie.

The little voice in my ear brought me out of my own little world with "Bombshell Green", telling us that Ranger was at the apartment door ready to enter. I could see Morelli along with others standing in the stairway waiting for there cue.

A few minutes passed and complete pandemonium broke out as 6 shots rang out of the apartment. Followed by two more. The paramedics and the Feds broke out into a full sprint towards the apartment door. Morelli turned white as a ghost and followed about two steps behind them. I was on border control so I had to wait for the voice in my ear to ease my fears. So far the coroner hadn't been called so that was a good sign.

"Scene Clear, suspect in custody" barked the little voice. I could tell it was a stinkin' Fed because a local would have immediately let everyone know how Stephanie was.

I had to hold back a senior citizen with his Polaroid Camera trying to take a good picture while I watched the front entrance as they wheeled Ranger out on a stretcher with a mini Ranger attached to the side. I overheard the little girl telling off the EMT as she climbed in the truck. No doubt that she was Ranger's offspring. Then I saw Morelli leading Stephanie to his truck. It was one of those moments like 9/11 where there was chaos but time stands still. There was noise everywhere but it sounded like white noise. From where I was standing I could see the side view of Morelli and Stephanie. Morelli with a look of concern was hugging Stephanie while she never moved her eyes off of Ranger. When I first saw them come out of the building Stephanie looked broken, she had never looked that way before. The one thing that Stephanie had always been able to hold onto was hope. For that split second she had none.

My shift ended about 2 hours ago but I am still sitting in one of the upholstered chairs in the ICU waiting room. Thank God we didn't have to sit in the plastic ones down in the ER. Being a uniform and sitting in the car all day was giving me hemorrhoids, and a plastic chair would have been very unpleasant. Four hours ago the Doctor told Stephanie that baring any complications Ranger was expected to make a full recovery. A few minutes later she went into the glass walled room and haven't moved since. I am happy to see that she looks a little more like the Steph that I know but I can tell that she is still in distress. I wonder if this will bring the whole "how I really feel about Ranger" to a head?

I finished everything that I had been assigned to do for the case but I am still here to try to keep the tension down. Adrenaline levels were high tonight and everybody is on edge. One side of the room was full of the men in black uniform and one side was full of cops. Everybody in the room knew that a choice was about to be made and they were choosing sides. I just wanted Stephanie to know that I was on her side no matter whom she chooses.


	6. Gail Mangianni's POV

t5 Author: Feather (Flightf)

**Warnings: Spoilers all the way through Twelve Sharp.**

**Disclaimers: I own nothing…JE owns it all….I will return everything when I am finished**

**Rating (K-M) M (for language)**

**A/N: This was started from a challenge sent by the Twelve Sharp group. 'Ranger in the hospital of any point of view.' This is 6th in a series of around 9. J** **Thanks to everyone who gave me feedback…it is always appreciated. **

**Also a very HUGE thank you to Melle who has been acting as my editor extraordinaire. Without her my story would be full of creative grammar and would consist of the never-ending sentence. I think that I am trying to set the record for the most use of "and", "but", "or" and of course just the plain commasJ in one sentence. MagnificentSin…..I salute you! Thanks for being my second set of eyes. I really appreciate your tough love J A special thanks to Lisa, Gale and Teresa who kindly offered there support and medical Knowledge. Without them I am not sure this POV would have made it to you. Thanks Babes!**

As an ER Nurse you treat all kinds of patients. Some people treat the ER as their own private doctors office. Others are hypochondriacs and you see them at least once a month; always thinking that they are about to die. We get the occasional drug addict making up an ailment trying to get a fix. And let's not forgot the overprotective parent, who's child just sneezed and they are convinced that that their angel has chronic pneumonia. Frequently, we get gang members who have shot each other up. My favorite patient though, is Stephanie Plum. We are cousins of sort; my sister is married to her cousin. In the Burg that makes us family. She is a bounty hunter and we can pretty much guarantee that we will see her for something at least once a month. Luckily, she's not always the patient; often she is bringing someone else in. She is not the best patient, she hates to be here and whines constantly but I love her anyway. She makes working the night shift a little less mundane.

The paramedics had radioed in that their ETA was five minutes with two gun shot wounds. I was assigned to the most critical patient. First victim male, 32 and was hit with three shots. One shot to the upper portion of the right chest no apparent exit wound, minimal bleeding with compression. One shot to the left shoulder, through and through, controlled bleeding with compression. Third shot was a through and through to the left side of the neck no apparent arterial damage, excessive bleeding with compression. His blood pressure was stable at 90/40, his heart rate tachycardic at 140 and his respirations were in the 20's and shallow. I saw the ambulance pull into the bay and my energy level shot through the roof I was ready for action. It was time to rock and roll.

After they transported the patient to surgery it was time to update the notes into Meditech. The hospital had just purchased the new system so I accidentally brought up the wrong screen. My eyes were the size of saucers when I noticed that Stephanie Plum's name listed under next of kin for R. Carlos Manoso. Now the Burg is nothing if it isn't the largest rumor mill on the East coast. We pride ourselves of knowing everything and anything there is to know about someone. Now there have been whispers and rumors making the rounds for some time now. Most of it is a friend of a friend of a friend kind of thing so I haven't paid too much attention, but I ran into Marjorie Lando at Giovichinni's this week, and she said that Ranger walked into the bakery and kissed Stephanie for the entire world to see. No tongue or anything but there bodies knew each other. For the last few years Steph has been on and off again with Joe Morelli. Could it be that Stephanie was taking a step outside of the Burg box and falling for someone else? Now that would be a hard choice. Those two men were like having two deserts in front of you and trying to pick which one to eat. Joe was like apple pie, warm, comforting, familiar, and when you eat it you feel like you are coming home. Now Ranger is like getting a box of Godiva Chocolates; dark, silky smooth, sinfully sweet and you don't know what flavor you are going to get until you take a bite.

Later that night, after treating a heart attack victim, I noticed that it was my break time. I thought maybe I would head up to ICU and see how Stephanie was holding up. When she arrived earlier she looked like crap. She looked worse than after she did when she arrived after the Slayers had her. And that was saying something.

I took the elevator to the 2nd floor, when I stepped through the doors the first thing I noticed was the guards outside of bay number 4. I knew from past experience that Ranger would be behind the glass. I walked up to the tall Latino with a buzz cut. Hmmm… I thought. He could guard my room anytime he wanted.

The clipped, "Can I help you?", brought me out of my hormone-induced daze.

"It was my break time and I thought that I would come up and see how Stephanie was doing. Earlier in the ER she didn't look so good. By the way I am Gail Mangianni, my sister is married to Stephanie's cousin so we are family." Way to go Gail, give him your whole life history why don't you. Maybe he wants to know your credit score, too.

"Lester Santos." He said, shaking my hand. His fingers lingered on my hand briefly before he let it go, "Stephanie is sitting in with Ranger, waiting for him to wake up. Would you like me to tell her that you stopped by?" This time he sounded a little friendlier and I noticed his eyes drifting down.

"That would be good. Have her stop by the ER on her way home." I said and I felt my cheeks heat up. I turned and started to walk towards the elevator and then I noticed Joe sitting amidst some of the other cops. I thought that I had better walk over and see how things are going.

"Hey, Joe." Boy, I hope he doesn't ask why I am as red as a beet.

"Gail." He said but he never looked at me. I followed his eyes to where Stephanie was sitting. We both were silent as we watched her tenderly stroke Rangers cheek. She looked a lot better then she did when she walked through the door of the ER. Her eyes never wavered, she didn't look around, and it was like she was lost in her own world. I forced myself to look at Joe again; this time I really studied him. His posture was stiff; his lips normally quick to smile were set into a grim line. This was not a happy man. What do I say to him? What do you say to someone who is watching on the outside and wondering if his life will ever be the same? I studied his face for a moment and swung my eyes back to Stephanie.

"She is looking better. Do you think that she will be the same?" I said, hoping that I wasn't going to open a floodgate. I waited a few minutes for his response, I was started to wonder if he had heard me when he finally spoke.

"You never know with Stephanie. You just never know..." His voice was stronger than I thought it would be, but it held both a little bit of shock and wonderment.

I looked back and tried to see what he was seeing. And then I realized he knew. He could see it in her eyes when she looked at Ranger. Not only did she love Joe, but she loved Ranger too. Life would never be the same.


	7. Ellen Plum's POV

**Author: Feather (Flightf)**

**Warnings: Spoilers all the way through Twelve Sharp.**

**Disclaimers: I own nothing…JE owns it all….I will return everything when I am finished**

**Rating (K-M) M (for language)**

**A/N: This was started from a challenge sent by the Twelve Sharp group. 'Ranger in the hospital of any point of view.' This is 7th in a series of 12. Thanks to everyone who gave me feedback…it is always appreciated.**

**Also a very HUGE thank you to Melle who has been acting as my editor extraordinaire. Without her my story would be full of creative grammar and would consist of the never-ending sentence. I think that I am trying to set the record for the most use of "and", "but", "or" and of course just the plain commas** **in one sentence. MagnificentSin…..I salute you! Thanks for being my second set of eyes. I really appreciate your tough love **

From the beginning I have never understood my daughter. How do you help someone that you don't understand? We have been home for two hours and I have already visited the cabinet by the sink four times for a tipple and ironed Frank's entire wardrobe and I mean everything. After all you never know who might be in the john with him. How my husband looks is a direct reflection on me. I am already the mother of a bounty hunter; I wouldn't want to be the women whose husband looks like he just rolled out of bed. I know that my family thinks that I am going crazy when I start ironing everything in the house but it calms me down. When I iron, my head clears and sometimes I see things in a new light. Of course my visits to my trusty friend in the cabinet help this process along. Often during these marathon-ironing sessions I talk to God. I wonder why I ended up with a daughter like Stephanie. I look around my house and the pictures catch my eye, we look similar. She has my blue eyes. They are the same shape and color but Stephanie's sparkle in a way that mine never have. Will Stephanie ever give me blue-eyed grandchildren? Will she settle down and have a home? Tonight while I watched her in the hospital I came to a startling conclusion, Stephanie wasn't being stubborn when it comes to marrying. She was in love with both Joe and the man she calls Ranger.

As I gathered all the towels so I could press the creases out, from being folded, and I thought of Stephanie's birth. The first time that I held her in my arms and gazed into her big blue eyes, I knew that life would never be the same. You could tell even then that she looked at the world a bit different.

When she was a toddler I would iron her clothes and send her out to play in the yard with Mary-Lou while her mother and I had coffee. When they came in for a snack, Mary-Lou would be neat as a pin while Stephanie would be covered head to toe in mud and her clothes would be covered in rips. Truth be told I was never much of a seamstress before Stephanie. Mending all her clothes made my stitches neat and evenly spaced. I guess I should be thankful.

At six we had our first run in with Joe Morelli. A day that I will never forget, we had just gotten home from mass and Stephanie was still in her church dress. She had asked Mary-Lou to join us for Sunday dinner earlier in the week. At 5:15 I sent her to the next block to walk Mary-Lou to our house. At 5:57, she walked through the door with Mary-Lou in tow covered with dirt. I took her into the laundry room to take the dirty dress off. I was shocked to find that her panties were missing.

"Stephanie Michelle Plum, where are your panties?" I asked my voice breaking from the shock.

"I forgot them in the garage," Stephanie answered with a disgusted voice, her arms moving in all directions.

"Whose garage? Why would you take your panties off in a garage? What on earth did you get your self into?" I asked with a tome of bewilderment.

"Well, I was on my way to get Mary-Lou and when I passed the Morelli's house. Joe waved me down. He told me that he was going to teach me a new game. I followed him into the garage and he taught me how to play choo-choo. But I left because he wasn't playing fair, he wouldn't let me be the train." She finished with a pout.

"Sweet Jesus." I crossed myself and I picked up the phone to call Angie Morelli.

Then when she was seven and decided that she was Wonder Woman. I humored her by making her a cape out of some spare fabric for her birthday. A month later she decided to jump off the roof to see if she could fly. In the Emergency Room she wasn't crying because she broke her arm, she was crying over a broken heart. Before she fell to the ground she actually believed that she was going to fly and save the world.

I took my job seriously when my girls reached the age where a mother should teach them the tools that they will need to be a good wife and mother. Valerie excelled at these talents, She cooked beautifully, knew the basics about stain removal, understood the rules that ruled our world. Stephanie was another story all together, her room was a disaster, and the only thing that she could do in the kitchen was catch it on fire.

Morelli entered our lives again when Stephanie was sixteen. He was leaving for the Navy and decided to make Stephanie his goodbye to Trenton. His last act before boarding the bus to boot camp was bragging about it on the wall of Mario's sub shop. I was internally joyed when Stephanie ran him over with her fathers Buick two years later.

When Stephanie left for college I had the typical empty nest syndrome but I was also relieved that I made it through raising Stephanie Plum. It turns out these were the years of the calm before the storm.

A few years later my dream came true; my little girl was marrying a lawyer and moving back to the Burg. Finally my Stephanie had grown into a woman the Burg could be proud of. I spent the next year planning a wedding that every girl dreams of. It was only a matter of time before I became a grandmother again. Three months into the marriage the phone started ringing, Stephanie was beating her husband, who was only dressed in his boxer shorts, with a tennis racket. It turns out that Stephanie had caught him on the dinning room table with Joyce Barnhardt.

In the next year or so Stephanie got a good job as a lingerie buyer. She bought a little car that she zipped around the burg in. Her apartment was a disgrace but it was only until she meets a good man to settle down with, I reasoned with myself. Then the bottom fell out of my dream, when she showed up one night for dinner and announced that she had been laid off. Within a week she had decided to be a Bounty Hunter. Another week passed and I was going to daily mass praying for a normal daughter.

As I ironed the last of the towels, I tried to decide what I should start on next. I headed upstairs for the sheets. When I passed my cabinet I decided that one more stop wouldn't hurt.

Tonight when I walked into the Emergency Room I was immediately transformed back to the day when Stephanie learned that she could fly. My little girl's heart was breaking. Frank and I found a corner of the waiting room and waited for news on the man who saved my daughter's life too many times to count. The relief when hearing that Ranger was expected to make a full recovery was evident in her whole body. While they transferred Ranger from recovery to ICU, Frank and I went to tell Stephanie good bye. As we walked towards where she was sitting with Joseph. I noticed the distance between them. They were sitting next to each other but you could tell that they were in different worlds. Joe's eyes were watching Stephanie intently but her eyes were focused on Ranger. He reached over to touch her arm and she turned to look at him, she smiled but it never reached her eyes. When their eyes meet Stephanie immediately looked to other direction. Stephanie stood up as we approached, and Joseph put his arm around Stephanie. Stephanie's body was stiff. She didn't lean into him for support; she didn't pull him closer, what she did do sent warning signals off in my brain. Stephanie shrugged off Joe's arm and left him standing there and walked over to us.

"Stephanie, we are headed home now." I hugged her as I said this, trying to put all the love and the words that I can't say into it. When we pulled away I saw the tears glistening in her eyes. I took her hand and gave it a squeeze.

"I am glad that your friend Ranger is going to recover. Make sure you bring him to dinner, when he feels better. I'll make a nice pot roast and a pineapple upside-down cake. He'll need his strength for all his wounds to heal. " I took a step back while Franks took Stephanie in his arms, he pulled her into a hug and whispered something into her ear.

"Thanks, Daddy" Stephanie replied softly.

Frank took my arm and we started to walk down the hall. I turned and caught Stephanie's eyes "Your grandmother wants to stay here for a while longer. I'll send your father back with the cab to pick her up later. Try to keep her away from the Morgue.'

As I was headed back down the stairs my arms full of sheets the phone started ringing. I dropped the sheets onto the table, and made a pit stop at the cabinet by the sink. I needed some courage to answer the phone.


	8. Frank Plum's POV

**Author: Feather (Flightf)**

**Warnings: Spoilers all the way through Twelve Sharp.**

**Disclaimers: I own nothing…JE owns it all….I will return everything when I am finished**

**Rating (K-M) M (for language)**

**A/N: This was a challenge sent by the Twelve Sharp group. 'Ranger in the hospital of any point of view.' This is 8th in a series of 12. Thanks to everyone who gave me feedback…it is always appreciated. **

**Also a very HUGE thank you to Melle who has been acting as my editor extraordinaire. Without her my story would be full of creative grammar and would consist of the never-ending sentence. I think that I am trying to set the record for the most use of "and", "but", "or" and of course just the plain commasJ in one sentence. **

**MagnificentSin…..I salute you! Thanks for being my second set of eyes. I really appreciate your tough love J **

Dr Phil says that on any given day you should be able to identify 10 defining moments, seven critical choices and five pivotal people that shape you into the person that you are today. (I wouldn't know this crap but my crazy old bat of a mother in law won't miss a damn episode) I can honestly say that my daughter Stephanie has a place in all 3 categories.

The day that she was born was the day that I truly became a father. Valerie is two years older but I was in the army when she was born. I was busy being a solider instead of a father. The day that Stephanie was born; the air was unusually warm for October, and the sky was clear and crystal blue. When they handed me my second daughter my eyes saw the world in a whole new light. I became a father in act not just in name that day. Hands down it was one of the scariest days of my life.

As a father I'm not proud of all my choices. While growing up, my mother primarily raised the children. She made almost all the choices and my father backed her up when needed. As us boys got older he would step in and show us how to be men but with the girls he stayed in the back seat and deferred to my mother. I choose this same path and I can tell you that it is one of my most critical choices and not my best one. It has defined everything in my life, from how people see me, to how my marriage works, and of course the kind of father that I have been to my daughters. I can't count how many times I have sat at my dinning room table listening to my wife berate my children. I know that she means well, she loves them and wants them to be happy but she cannot understand that they might not want the life that she has. I love my daughters and I can see that they are two beautiful women that have completely different wants and needs. But still, I have put my head down and shoveled food in my mouth pretending that I didn't hear what was going on around me. I'm not sure who has failed more, Ellen for not supporting our children's decisions and pointing out every flaw or me for taking a passive role in our family.

Watching Stephanie grow into the women that she is today has been a roller coaster ride. When she was a baby it was the step climb up the peek, then when she hit toddler hood we started down the hill flying at full speed. With her school-age years we were in the crazy turns one minute she was an angel the next she was trying to fly off the roof. The teenage years were the small loop, the one that when you were finally through it you thought aw that wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. College and her marriage to the Dick you are climbing another hill. The ride is so deceptive that you think that you are getting close to the end of the ride. Then the car levels out for a brief second and you are flying down the hill, you are going so fast that you can't see what is ahead of you, was what the divorce and her job as a lingerie buyer felt like. Then you come to where we are now, we are in the series of loops each one bigger than the last. You think whew that was a wild ride, I'm ready for the long straight away, but all that comes is a bigger loop. With a daughter like Stephanie, it's a damn good thing that the roller coaster is my favorite ride of all time.

I have a ritual that I go through on the ride to the hospital. I hold Ellen's hand giving her the comfort that she needs. I tell her that Stephanie always lands on her feet. I remind her of the times that Stephanie has amazed us with her ability to bounce back. While I'm saying these things to my wife in my mind I'm preparing myself for the worst. Hoping that today wasn't the day when the doctor meet us at the door and ushered us into the little room with the mauve walls that they only use to tell people bad news. I go through these mental games all the while knowing that I'm never going to be ready to hear those words.

Pulling into the parking lot ends my mental Olympics and the dread sets in. I direct my wife towards the door with my hand on her lower back, with the voice in my head screaming at me to turn around and run. As we approach the door automatically slide open and the stale hospital air slaps you in the face. My body is on autopilot steering me towards the front desk. I approached the receptionist and inquired about Stephanie Plum, she directed us to 2nd floor waiting room. Stepping off the elevator we walked over to the waiting room and I could finally breathe again. I turn around and my eyes scanned the room for Stephanie.

She was sitting next to Morelli. He turned out to be a better man than I would have ever predicted. I think he might be the first decent male from that gene pool. He was a good man but he just didn't understand Stephanie. He couldn't see what a truly unique and special women that she was. He wanted her to be his mother and that is never going to happen. I'm not saying that Stephanie couldn't fill the roll of a wife and mother, she could and I hoped someday she would. When she decided to take on that roll she would do it in a way that the Burg would never understand. Her husband will have to be strong and patient enough to see that she won't be a traditional wife and mother but she will be an exceptional one.

Ellen and I walked over to them, Joseph stood up and took my hand to shake it and kissed Ellen's cheek.

"Ellen. Frank," he said.

After shaking his hand, I immediately pulled my little girl into my arms. I could feel all the fear and sadness radiating out of her body. I tried to absorb it all; I wanted to take it all in. I poured all the strength and love that I could muster into that hug. I could feel her silent tears soaking my shoulder but my girl was keeping it together. When she pulled away, she had a little bit more color but her eyes were still haunted.

"Thanks Daddy," she whispered with a wobbly smile.

I directed Ellen to some chairs in the corner of the room. We sat down and waited. We waited for our daughter to look like the women we know. We waited for news about the man who has saved our daughters life too many times to count.

Ranger is a mystery to me. He has been to our house for dinner once when Stephanie first started bounty hunting. At that time he was dressed like a street thug. It was a typical Plum dinner. I tried to ignore everyone. If I knew then how big of a part of Stephanie's life he was to become, I might have asked more questions, paid a little more attention or maybe just talked to the man. Instead, I have to settle for listening to the gossip and seeing him in passing. It's strange that I barely know this man… hell until last week I didn't even know his given name all I knew was Ranger, but I feel more comfortable when Stephanie calls and says that she is with him because I know that he will move heaven and earth to save our little girl. To a father this means everything.

When they finally moved Ranger into the ICU room, I leaned over to Ellen.

"Ellen, why don't we head home? There is nothing more we can do here and Stephanie is getting ready to go in to see Ranger." Ellen walked over to where my mother in law sat and talked with her in low tones. When she returned we walked over to Stephanie. I slightly watched her interaction with Morelli and I knew that my baby wasn't happy. When she was a little girl I could just kiss the pain away or maybe a trip to the Dairy Queen but what does a father do when his grown daughter is lost? After Ellen hugged Stephanie good-bye, I took Stephanie into my arms and gave her a fierce hug.

I whispered into her ear where nobody else but us could hear "Stephanie, I know that I don't express this enough but I am proud of the women that you have become. You do what you need to do to be happy and everything else will fall into place. Call us if you need anything."

I released her from my hug, but I couldn't take my hands off of her. I felt like I did the day that she was born. I was uncertain of my next step. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears, and it was all I could do not to tell her that everything was going to be okay; because she was fighting an inner battle that no one could take away her fear. I was looking at my daughter the women, but I could still see the mischievous little girl she had been. I could see the problem weighing heavily on her; only time would tell how she found the answers.


	9. Ella's POV

**Author: Feather (Flightf)**

**Warnings: Spoilers all the way through Twelve Sharp.**

**Disclaimers: I own nothing…JE owns it all….I will return everything when I am finished**

**Rating (K-M) M (for language)**

**A/N: This was started from a challenge sent by the Twelve Sharp group. 'Ranger in the hospital of any point of view.' This is 9th in a series of around 11. J Thanks to everyone who gave me feedback…it is always appreciated.**

**Also a very HUGE thank you to Melle who has been acting as my editor extraordinaire. Without her my story would be full of creative grammar and would consist of the never-ending sentence. I think that I am trying to set the record for the most use of "and", "but", "or" and of course just the plain commas** **in one sentence. MagnificentSin…..I salute you! Thanks for being my second set of eyes. I really appreciate your tough love **

* * *

The Rangeman office was running on a skeleton work force. There were two men in the control room, watching monitors. One man was positioned at the gate to the garage and another man at the entrance at the front desk. They of course, were the low men on the totem pool; fairly new to the company. They're six of us in the building and we were all wearing grim faces.

I headed to my laundry room; it like everything else in the building was state of the art. I had three of everything. It was time to switch the loads around. I wash and iron all the men's uniforms, and I have found it best to only wash one mans uniforms at a time. I opened the dryer and grabbed a garment. I started to fold the pants and I realized that Carlos's Cargos. My eyes filled with tears.

"Ella, pull yourself together. Now is not the time to get upset. There is work to be done." I said out loud to myself.

My mind drifted as I folded clothes, put the wet clothes in the dryer, and reloaded the washer. Many years ago, we lived next door to the Manoso's. They were a typical family for the neighborhood. Raul went to work at five, came home for lunch at noon and was home for dinner by six. Claudia ran the house; she cooked, cleaned, did laundry and ironed. Her world revolved around her husband and six children.

I thought back to the first time I had met Carlos. He was a scrawny little boy with the most beautiful smile you have ever seen. He was shy child and most boys in the neighborhood bullied him. Louis and I were unable to have children so we became a horary aunt and uncle to the Manoso children. For some reason I became especially close to Carlos.

As a child, Carlos learned to fight to gain respect, and as a teenager he picked the wrong friends. When he was sent to Miami, a little piece of me went with him. I prayed every week that he would grow into a man I could be proud of. After graduation, when he came back to New Jersey to go to college I made sure to send him a care package once a week.

My heart broke the day that he knocked on our door to tell us that he had joined the army. He told us that he needed to become a man and the army would do that. Again, I made sure to send letters and care packages. I wanted to make sure that he knew he was loved and missed. The years he spent in the Rangers were turbulent ones. I never knew where he was or what he was doing. The fact that there wasn't an unformed man at my door was the only good news I had. Three years ago received a letter that is still tucked into my bible. It was from Carlos telling us that he was coming home.

Rangeman was Carlos's baby, watching him build and grow this company has brought me great joy. I am very proud of the man he has become.

As I walked into my apartment I noticed that the message light was blinking. With shaky hands, I picked up the receiver; the fact that they left me a message and didn't try to find me was good news, right? I dialed my code to retrieve the message and Tanks voice boomed out at me.

"Ella, Tank here. The doctors just came and told us that Carlos made it through surgery and they are going to move him into ICU in a few minutes. I am on Bombshell and mini me duty. I will call later with another update."

I let out my breath in a slow and steady stream. My mind went to Tank's name for Julie, mini me. It is amazing how much like her father she is. It just shows how much behavior is genetic. I hope all of this teaches Carlos that you can't protect the ones you love by pushing them away. It is better to live and love for one day than to never love at all. I know that he can be a great father; he already is a type of father for his men. I can only pray that someday he will fill his home with children, his life needs more light.

Stephanie Plum is the sun in Carlos's life. For the past three years I have noticed the slight changes in Carlos. He has become a little more human, and little more like the boy I once knew. About two and half years ago, I started hearing rumors about a little girl from the burg playing with the big boys, they developed into Stephanie being Ranger's women, and finally I heard about how she impressed the boys with her tenacity and most importantly her loyalty. Everybody in the building knew the moment Stephanie moved into the seventh floor apartment. Tank deactivated my key flob to keep me from meeting this woman who had taken my boy's heart. When Carlos gave the order to let her stay that didn't surprise me but I was shocked when he wanted us all to have no contact with her. The morning after he arrived home I was told I could now clean the apartment. I remember asking her if she was Rangers girlfriend and the wistful look in her eyes when I said maybe someday.

I know that those two love each other; I also know that they are made for each other. They already have most of the bases for a good marriage. They have love, trust, a mutual respect for each other, and a healthy dose of lust. Basically the only thing that they need to do is learn to communicate with each other. They both are experts at running away.

I love taking care of the guys and they are family but I am getting to be an old women; I need to have children surrounding me. I need to be able to spoil a child with blue eyes and mocha skin. A toddler with a mop of curls spilling milk everywhere and with one flash of Carlos's devastating smile and your heart melts and your anger slips away. These are the dreams of an old woman, and I know that these are also the dreams that are locked deeply in another two peoples heart.


	10. Joe Morelli's POV

**Author: Feather (Flightf)**

**Warnings: Spoilers all the way through Twelve Sharp.**

**Disclaimers: I own nothing…JE owns it all….I will return everything when I am finished**

**Rating (K-M) M (for language)**

**A/N: This was a challenge sent by the Twelve Sharp group. 'Ranger in the hospital of any point of view.' This is 10th in a series of 12. Thanks to everyone who gave me feedback…it is always appreciated. **

**Also a very HUGE thank you to Melle who has been acting as my editor extraordinaire. Without her my story would be full of creative grammar and would consist of the never-ending sentence. I think that I am trying to set the record for the most use of "and", "but", "or" and of course just the plain commas in one sentence**. **MagnificentSin…..I salute you! Thanks for being my second set of eyes. I really appreciate your tough love !**

* * *

Every girl that grew up in my neighborhood had one goal in life. They wanted to get married, have a few kids, and have the perfect house. It's a type of competition that's instilled into the girls. You don't want to be the only girl in your class not married. You don't want to walk down the street and have people feel sorry for you for being a failure. In this competition, I'm considered a first place trophy. I'm handsome, I have a good job, I own my own house, and I'm ready to be a father. Unfortunately, I'm the dumb ass who fell in love with the only girl I have ever met who didn't want to win this game. In fact I'm not sure she is even playing.

I'm sitting in this chair trying to decide if I should be on cloud nine or jumping off the closest bridge. For the past three years I have been waiting for Stephanie Plum to say the three magic words. I was starting to fear that it would never happen. I would think that she was on the brink and then I would hear, "I'm sorry Joe; you know that I feel it." And it finally happened tonight.

Just when I was positive that she was gone to me forever, Stephanie turned to me and said the three words I'd been waiting to hear. When I walked into that apartment it was clear that Stephanie's heart was breaking. She screaming but you could tell by looking in her eyes that she wasn't really there. She couldn't face what everyone had known all along and she'd been denying even to herself.

As we drove to the hospital, I could see her returning. I could see the panic changing into fear. I tried to reassure her that everything was going to be fine, that it was worse than it looked. That it wasn't her fault that Ranger got shot. I was in the process of describing Ranger before he entered her apartment, when she turned to me and finally said those three magic words. I said the only thing that I could get out of my mouth, "Yeah I know, but it was nice to hear you say it. I love you, too."

As we walked into the Emergency Room I held onto Stephanie as tight as I could. I was trying to be supportive because I knew that Stephanie needed to make sure that Ranger was okay. I figured that we would be here until the doctors reassured us that he was going to recover, then I could take Stephanie home and make her repeat the "I love you until she was hoarse. I thought that I could make her throw in a few "Gods" and maybe "Oh's" before "I love you" but the gist would be the same. I _really_ needed to hear those words in that circumstance.

When Ranger was finally out of surgery I watched as Tank lead Stephanie into Rangers ICU room. Watching through the glass was like watching a play. Stephanie stood at the end of the bed just looking at Ranger. One of the things that I love about Stephanie was that she was so open and honest. Typically you can read exactly what she's thinking by her expressive face. Tonight was no exception and what I was reading sent me into full panic mode. At first there was a hint of relief, which turned into anger, and then I saw love for a brief second, which turned into panic. At that moment Tank stepped into my view and lead Stephanie to the chair beside the bed.

I couldn't take my eyes off of Stephanie, and what I saw was killing me, an internal battle raged inside of me. What does all this mean? Had I been in the dark this whole time? Have I lost her? Did I ever really have her? No, I couldn't have lost her; she just told me that she loved me. He was only her friend. Stephanie wouldn't be with me if she wanted to be with him, would she? The fact that she kept coming back to me meant that was number one in her life. Of course Stephanie loved him; he was her friend. Stephanie loved all her friends. If this were any one of her friends she would be doing the same thing. My mind was racing at 100 miles and hour. It was screaming at me and I couldn't get it to stop. I didn't want to hear my own voice telling me that my deepest darkest fears were coming true.

I heard the sliding of a metal chair against the floor and I realized that I was standing at the window. I didn't even realize that I had moved. If looks could kill Lester would have killed me on the spot with the look that he was giving me. I put my cop face firmly in place and returned to my seat.

I scanned the room as I sat down finally settling on Stephanie. I could feel the panic rising in my throat, as I watched Stephanie absently stroke his hand. Touching him came very easy to her, it was obvious that she was used to touching him. I squashed the panic back down willing myself to stay calm. I needed to stay calm; this is not the place to loose control.

I needed to stay in control; it was time to come up with a plan. I needed to convince Stephanie that we belonged together. I needed to make her see that it was time to settle down, get married and have a few kids. It was time for her to find a safe job, where she would be home every night waiting for me, or better yet to quit work and stay at home with our kids. As we accomplished these goals she would grow apart from Ranger. She wouldn't need him to save her anymore. He would stop involving her in his problems. She would realize that his lifestyle was too drastic to stay in her life. She would hang curtains and our life would be perfect. I just needed to convince her that we could have the perfect Burg life.

Direct quote from 12 Sharp hardback page 305.


	11. Stephanie Plum's POV

**Author: Feather (Flightf)**

**Warnings: Spoilers all the way through Twelve Sharp.**

**Disclaimers: I own nothing…JE owns it all….I will return everything when I am finished**

**Rating (K-M) M (for language)**

**A/N: This was a challenge sent by the Twelve Sharp group. 'Ranger in the hospital of any point of view.' This is 11th in a series of 12. Thanks to everyone who gave me feedback…it is always appreciated. **

**I am sorry that it has taken me this long to get out this chapter…….I hope that it was worth the wait.**

I studied the face of the man I loved, searching for signs of life. His skin was ashen, and his eyes closed. I needed to know that he was alive. I craved the contact with his body and needed to feel his warmth. I laid my hand softly on his cheek and took in the marvelous sight that was him: the shape of his hands, and the planes of his face. Just a few hours earlier, I believed that I would never have the chance see him again. I've never felt such panic or grief; I wouldn't be able to describe those moments even if asked. For those few seconds as time stood still, I was completely lost. I couldn't imagine my life without his presence. The fact that he was laying in front of me is a miracle.

_One that I was vowing never to take for granted again._

I wasn't sure how all this happened. Yesterday, I was content how my life was going. Now, I was sitting here admitting to myself that I loved two men. Ranger and Morelli are two of the most important people in my life. How was I going to make this work? Because I knew for certain my life wouldn't be as it was before.

Ranger had always been my own personal superhero. In my mind he was batman. He had been the everlasting force that had always surrounded me. I knew that if I got in over my head he would be there to drag me above water and then kiss the fear away. I had known since the moment that we met that I could trust him with anything. He made me feel like I could do anything that I wanted; he gave me the strength to be me. He builds me back up when others tear me down. He was the one person that I knew I could always turn to. Tonight, sitting in that chair, I learned that batman was just a man. Ranger was a man who chose to live his life doing extraordinary things. He wasn't batman. He was a man named Carlos. A man who I loved, a man that I couldn't live my life without, the man who just had to say Babe to make my insides melt. But he was also the man who once told me that he didn't do relationships, a man who told me that he was my desert, a man who I know very little about his past. He told me that it was no secret what he wanted to do with me, and that he was emotionally attached. Was he ready to let me into his life completely? Was Carlos waiting on me to make a decision?

I could feel my heart rate speed up as this thought crossed my mind. I noticed that I was gripping the sheets on the bed next to Rangers hand. I let go of the sheets and smoothed out the wrinkles and forced myself to take a few deep breaths to calm myself down. Being with Ranger would mean leaving the protective arms of the Burg. Saying goodbye to the man on the other side of the glass.

The man in the waiting room was Joe Morelli. He was the equivalent of comfort food to me. He represented all that was familiar. We grew up together; we were raised with the same beliefs and values. Our families attend the same Church, shop at the same market, and our mothers bought the Friday night Pot Roast at the same butcher. Morelli and I both share the love for Pizza and Hockey. He comes to dinner at my parent's house without putting up too much of a fight. We should be so blissfully happy that I would never notice another man again. Joe wanted to get married, have babies and eat pot roast every Friday night. He wanted me at home making sure that his dinner was warm. He was the kind of man that my mother told me to look for. He would be an excellent father and husband. Most importantly, I loved him. Even with this list of wonderful qualities, I still wanted to turn and run when any mention of the future came up. I looked at him and I could still see the boy at eighteen that took my virginity, the man at twenty that I hit with my fathers Buick and finally the cop that I knew now. How do we forget all the bad and reach for the good? We have so much history that it could be its own textbook on how not to have a successful relationship. We come together but we are like polar ends of a magnet pushing each other way. We just can't seem to head in the same direction. He had been my past, he was my present but did I want him to be my future?

I admitted to Joe that I loved him and he really didn't seem surprised. I thought after all this time the first time I would say it wouldn't have been in the middle of a breakdown over another man who was shot protecting me. Someone who loved me, someone that I always turn to for strength. There are different types of love, would Morelli understand? Can I choose between the path well worn with travel and the path with an unknown destination? Do I stay on the ground or do I take a chance and fly?

I wasn't ready to make this decision. I wasn't ready to let either of these men out of my life. I could feel the terror rising in my chest; I just didn't know what I was going to do. I laid my head on the bed and willed myself to breathe. I kept myself as still as possible fighting the panic that wanted to overcome me. For the first time in my life the blinders were off and I wasn't sure I could deal with what I saw. I wasn't sure that I was ready to face reality.

I felt the bed shift then I felt a hand brush my curl off my face. I lifted my head off the pillow and I lost myself into depths of his chocolate eyes. I moved my hand to cover his heart and I heard the word that put my world back on its axle.

"Babe," his voice was dry and rough but I could hear the tenderness.

Suddenly everything became clearer and the panic disappeared, my eyes filled with tears and I whispered, "Ranger."


	12. Carlos Manoso's POV

**Author: Feather (Flightf)**

**Warnings: Spoilers all the way through Twelve Sharp.**

**Disclaimers: I own nothing…JE owns it all….I will return everything when I am finished**

**Rating (K-M) M (for language)**

**A/N: This was a challenge sent by the Twelve Sharp group. 'Ranger in the hospital of any point of view.' This is 12th in a series of 12. Thanks to everyone who gave me feedback…it is always appreciated. **

**I am sorry that it has taken me this long to get out this chapter…….I hope that it was worth the wait.**

I took a moment to catch my breath, and then I slowly open the door. I raised my hands to show that I didn't have a weapon, my eyes searching the room. I find Julie slumped in the chair, and then I locked eyes with my babe. My heart was beating rapidly as I checked her over. Her beautiful eyes were filled with tears. I did my best to let her see what I was feeling. I wanted her to know that I made the decision to be here, and that I would gladly give my life for her. I keep my eyes on her face memorizing every feature for when I was at the gates of heaven or more likely the pits of hell. I wanted to have my babe's face embedded in my mind for eternity. I heard the bullets being fired but I kept looking at my babe. I felt the impact on my vest and the shots slicing through my shoulder and neck but it was my babe's haunting screams calling my name that caused the pain that overwhelmed me. I could feel the blood soaking the floor around me. I could hear gunshots in the direction of Scrog but my focus was on my Babe's anguish. I could feel the life draining out of me; this was _not _the way I wanted my life to end. I didn't want Stephanie to see me like this; I didn't want my Babe to live the rest of her life with this memory. A long time ago I came to grips with the fact that I could die at any moment. I knew that I had done everything I could to keep her safe including keeping her at arms length. And my last thoughts were of her as the room erupted into chaos but my Babe's cries followed me into the blackness.

The smell of stale anesthetic air flooded my senses. Pain was slowly penetrating through the haze of neurotics. I could feel weight on one side of the bed. I could hear at least three people breathing. One deep and steady, obviously asleep, another one was steady but alert- had to be Tank – and the last was a little frantic. I heard lungs straining to keep from hyperventilating, and instinctively I knew that it was Stephanie. I kept my breathing steady and deep, I wasn't ready to face the world yet. I listened to the room around me. I figured the deep and steady breathing was Julie. Relief and a feeling that I couldn't pin point flooded my body. My babe shifted in her chair and laid her head on the bed. Her breathing was still erratic, I wanted to lift her head and kiss her until she was breathing hard for another reason. I wanted to shoulder whatever troubled her.

I couldn't stop myself from touching her any longer. I sifted my weight in the bed so that I could reach out and caress a curl. Immediately she lifted her head. Our eyes locked together. Neither one of us could look away. I let myself let go of her blue eyed to assure myself that she was safe. Her face was pale almost ghost like. She had dark circles around her red swollen eyes; her nose was red and irritated. I brought my eyes back to meet hers and I could read and feel the concern radiating out of her. In that moment in time I wished that I were another man. I wished that I could give her everything that she needed. I wanted to tell her that nothing like this would ever happen again. I wish I could be the base of her food pyramid. She lifted her hand and put it over my heart.

"Babe," my voice was hoarse and my throat was dry.

"Ranger." My heart skipped a beat and I continued to lose myself in her eyes. I heard Tank get up and step out of the room. I knew that he would be right outside the door if I needed him.

I needed to push her away from me; I thought that she would be safe as my friend. But I know that I couldn't keep her away. I wasn't man enough to do the right thing in this situation. I continued to stare into her blue eyes that had filled with unleashed tears and I could still hear her screaming my name. She moved her hand into mine and gave me a gentle squeeze. She started to chew on her lower lip and then gave me a wobbly smile.

"Hey, the doctor said that you should make a full recovery but he wanted to know when you woke up. Just let me call the nurse and let her know that you are awake." She said as she reached for the call button. I grabbed her hand and pulled in back into mine. For a second we both studied our hands together, the contrast of our skin dark and light, ying and yang. Stephanie lifted her eyes and they seemed to look everywhere but at me. She finally looked at my eyes and I gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Her eyes were saying something that I didn't quite understand. There was something new and my stomach started to roll at the thought of Morelli being the cause of this new light. I decided to stop her I wasn't ready to hear about Morelli yet.

"Stephanie…."

"I love you, Carlos"


End file.
